Bernie Masters is a geologist/zoologist who spent 8 years as a member of the Western Australian Parliament. Married to Carolina since 1976 and living in south west WA, Bernie is involved in many community groups. This blog offers insights into politics, the environment and other issues that annoy or interest him. For something completely different, visit www.fiatechnology.com.au for information about vegetated floating islands - the natural way to improve water quality.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Voluntary Euthanasia

For 20 years, I was a member of the Liberal Party, attempting to suggest new policy ideas or change existing policies. One issue that was always close to my heart was (and still is) voluntary euthanasia and, in the lead-up to the September 14 federal election, I can advise that I have joined a new political party - the VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA PARTY. With Australians living longer, many of us will face difficult times in our old age, not through a lack of finances - we baby boomers are the wealthiest cohort of Australians ever - but through the pain and suffering that we may experience as modern medicine keeps us alive while we battle diseases that would have killed us quickly a couple of generations ago.

If you believe in Australians being given a choice as to how and when they end their lives, please consider joining the Voluntary Euthanasia Party or at least voting for their candidates in the Senate.

The Voluntary Euthanasia Party was created to provide the
choice and dignity that current legislation is denying the most
vulnerable Australians. The party hopes to provide a clear political
outlet for the overwhelming public support for voluntary euthanasia.
Over four in five Australians are in favour of new legislation and we
wish to allow that sentiment to be clearly demonstrated at the ballot
box. The Voluntary Euthanasia Party aims to ensure dignity in the final
years of life, by raising the profile of this issue in order to engender
the necessary political will for change.

Party Policy

Like 85% of all Australians,
we support the provision of medical procedures for the painless,
assisted death of patients of a terminal or incurable illness, who are
enduring unbearable suffering and who have expressed a desire for the
procedures within appropriate legal safeguards. We believe that these
patients deserve the right to make informed choices about the time and
manner of their death through appropriate and humane medical assistance.

Join The Party

This election we need to raise our voices and place voluntary
euthanasia firmly on the election agenda. To achieve this, we are
forming a political party to show politicians that Australians support
voluntary euthanasia and we are willing to demonstrate this fact at the
polls. Voluntary euthanasia has been off the radar at past elections as
the major parties ignore the wishes of the vast majority of Australians.
However, if enough of us raise our voices, tell our stories and show
why this is important, we can change that. This is what our party stands
to achieve. We will fight for these issues.

The Party's website address is http://vep.org.au/ where you can join or make donations.